It’s been a rough week. A week where it’s been hard to keep my head above the water, to see with those eyes that I usually see the world and to be slightly more enthusiastic about life then a zombie (or a human in a zombie apocalypse).. It’s funny that the most incredible peek moments this week has had revolves around little Caspian (of course. He’s just too darn cute not to be the reason). But goodness gracious, sleep deprivation turned me inside out these past days as he suddenly decided that 1.30 in the morning was a good time to fall asleep. As I’m writing this I’m amazed of the sensation of not feeling like I want to bang my head agains the wall and faint because that would sorta be sleeping. Yes. That kind of week.

In other words, I’ve enjoyed plenty of awesome-stuff-on-toast kinda meals. Luckily for me I shot this fancy pants Provencale Celeriac Paté last Sunday and it has seen me through many days of zombie-ness. This baby + mustard + capers + some leafy greens + danish rye bread (because no one really know how to make rye bread like the danes) proved to be a real winner. And when I was out of toast, well.. let’s just say this; the Provencale Paté can save lives even when it’s simply sliced up and eaten with a fork right out of the fridge. That’s how little energy I’ve had and that’s how good it is.

How I made my way from zombie-mood to, well, myself? As Friday afternoon rolled in and I found myself trying to fall asleep in my little brothers bed of all places, I found his ”The Secret for teenagers” thought, why the heck not, flickered through it and was brought back by remembering gratitude. Because however insane things get, Caspian still laugh when I tickle him, banana ice cream exists, the snow falls and make our world bright, we’re healthy, I get to connect with you guys.. and I love Fabian like a nutty 14 year old.

Fun & Fabulous Facts

As I edited these pictures last night right in the middle of the kitchen and dinner makin’ both my big sister and Fabian passed the computer screen saying how the celeriac looked really beautiful.. but sort of like an alien or the crazy baby of an alien. Even though that might be true I’d still take a real earthy celeriac/alien look-alike over some pre-packed stuff with actual alien ingredients any day. I know that root up there might look a bit intimidating but I’m telling you, under the dirt and weird peel celeriac hides a plethora of pretty amazing stuff. First of all, it’s in season! In the middle of this nordic darkness and what seems like zero fresh harvest, there comes the celeriac in all it’s versatility. It tastes completely amazing raw so why not try a celeriac slaw of some kind? Then there is puréed celeriac or celeriac in soups or stews – divine creaminess (and no potatoes needed). And now a celeriac paté! Whichever root (ahem, sorry – route) you choose to embark on, celery is your friend.

I’m certainly not one to count the load of calories/starch but if you are looking to keep your weight down then mashed celery might be a better option then mashed potatoes. However, celery is so not only a ”weight-watcher”, it also serves you with incredible amounts of fiber thus balancing blood sugar, keeping your digestive system healthy and smoothly running (awkward to talk about but insanely important) and it leaves you feeling full and satisfied after eating it. Less known is that celeriac has been used for centuries to keep high blood pressure down (and safe to use if one has high good pressure during pregnancy).

Celeriac also has a lot of the interesting Vitamin K which in very important for good bone and blood health. Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin so when you eat celeriac, make sure to pair it with some kind of good fat. In this recipe I got it covered with ghee/virgin coconut oil.

Provencale Celeriac Paté Sandwich

This is not just any ol’ veggie/bean hummus rolled up in herbs and spices. The Provencale Celeriac Paté miraculously firms up in the fridge after just a few hours and turns into a superb slice-able (and non crumbly!) paté. I chose to season it in this particular french inspired way because I think it pairs well with the celeriac but why not roll it in other spice blends like za’atar or dukkah!? Have fun!

1. To prepare celeriac rinse the root then use a sharp pairing knife to peel and cut it (sort of a chunky dice). Bring water to a boil in a saucepan, add celeriac to a steamer and steam on high heat for 5 minutes or until you can easily stick a the knife into one of the celeriac cubes.2. Add rinsed beans, minced garlic, ghee/coconut oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest and nutmeg to a bowl. Add celeriac once cooked and blend using a immersion blender until you have a slightly chunky mash.3. Put a large square of cling foil onto your cutting board, spoon up the mash and roll it up into (and with the help of) the cling foil. It should be firmly rolled otherwise the paté might end up difficult to slice.4. Unwrap the cling foil, sprinkle fresh thyme, fresh rosemary and chili flakes all over the paté and roll it in the herbs and spices until it’s fully covered. Wrap up into the cling foil again and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.5. Now the paté has set and ready to be sliced up for the sandwiches.

To make the sandwichesleafy greens (I went with arugula)big capersdijon mustardsalt flakesadditional chili flakes if desired

ArrangeSlice up your dark bread of choice, add a small handful arugula, a few paté slices, mustard, capers and some salt and chili flakes. Eat and savor the earthy, deep, spicy and full of hope that spring is around the corner-flavor. Ps. A napkin might come in handy.

..So thank goodness for the G-spot (gratitude that is) and awesome stuff to put on toast – you saved my week and I love you for it. Even though I’m hoping that this sleeping phase of Caspians is so over, I’m curious – what sees You through rough days?

Can we let our amazing brains collide in the comments below to make sort of a care package for those zombie feel-y days (which, let’s face it pops up from time to time)?

The sun is out again and I’m off to enjoy the snow. Until next time – you are incroyable!

29 Comments

Oh, Elenore. What a week. Sending some sleepy night-times vibes to Caspian. This looks absolutely delicious. I crave bread in the winter time. I used to fight that, but now I embrace it. Celeriac pate would make for a perfect topping. Thanks for the recipe. Now here is hoping you get some sleep.
Xoxo
C

Ohhh my, I will try this next week, my last week was a tough one too, I think this celeriac pate will cheer me up and a good night sleep for you will solve all your problems ( my mom usually says that grandpas are the best thing in the world, you should become a fan of that sentence too ;))

Cette recette est vraiment incroyable!
As for dealing with them rough days, it usually helps me to reconnect with the roots of who I am. That can be translated in being by the sea, nature walks or basking in the sun (when he is gracious enough to show up around here!).
Roots are indeed important and I love how you used a root vegetable to make this recipe, like a soul centering life-saver, yumminess & nutrient packed bliss!

Caroline

3 februari, 2014

Hi Elenore!
That paté sounds and looks amazing. I too had a very rough week. My friend’s mum died from stupid cancer and that just kept me really down. But a good slice of bread with a delicious topping is a sure way to help! On days like that I try to go for a long walk, it sometimes takes hours to actually leave the house, but when I eventually am outside, it makes everything better. Also I was too tired to juice or blend or actually go grocery shopping. But I have a really big box of oranges so I drank a lot of orange juice and that really helped too. Hope you feel better soon and that Caspian learns to understand the whole day/night-concept! :)

I love celeriac! It’s so creamy and delicious in soup, but pâté? Oh la la, indeed :) And of course now I will have to try it raw since you mentioned it ;)

It seems like everyone is having weird, zombie like days. Someone said it’s because of the age of Aquarius, a super moon and Chinese New year all rolled into one I presume. All I know is that I feel you! I have had to let it all out, take a bath, push through the resistance. I feel like I’m not quite myself yet but soon…it’s like I’m a caterpillar all mushy in a cocoon in pieces waiting to become a butterfly (or at least recognizable) once again!

Oh goodness, this looks SOOO delicious! I will definitely be making this as soon as I can get my hands on some celeriac. :)
I hope you are able to get more sleep soon; I’ll be sending good sleepy vibes your way! I always feel so loved and refreshed each time I visit your site, you deserve to feel the same way!!

Anna

7 februari, 2014

Dearest Elenore,

I really really REALLY don’t like celeriac. Just he thought of it makes me cringe. Yet, I still found myself with a big celeriac root. A gift. Ugh, thanks I guess…?! But – want not, waste not. And I tried your recipe (and because the paté looks so pretty, I ws going to give it to someone if I don’t like it – a present!)

But boy – this is absolutely delish!! The smell of steamed celeriac was still kind of icky to me, but as soon as it was blended up wit those spices and beans, the smell was gone! And after rolling the paté in those beautiful fresh herbs – it was pure bliss. I LOVE it! Eventhough it has celeriac in it! You, mylady, worked a miracle here!

Thanks a ton for your inspiration, recipe-creating genius and love. One can definitely taste in your paté…

Tosha

13 februari, 2014

Oh goodness, sweet Mama Elenore! I remember those sleepless nights and the exhaustion that they bring. Sounds like you and angel Caspian could use some aromatherapeutic ”night night” remedies. Just remember to show yourself some self love each and every day and praise yourself for being such a trooper! This will get better soon! XO

Katie

19 februari, 2014

Thank you Eleanore! My organic veg box has just arrived and in it are 2 celariacs! If I hadn’t read this yesterday I’d have no idea what to do with them! Can’t wait to try this it sounds delicious. Love your blog and Instagram, mine is healthykatie11. It’s a work in progress but I’m a nutrition student who loves food and enjoys sharing my creations with others. Peace ✌️ Xx

Marlene

8 september, 2014

Since going vegan one of the huge things I miss is pate, I can not wait to try this! Thank you so much! We are huge cooks in this house and never thought we’d be doing something like a vegan cleanse but recipes like this keep us going. Thank you so much!